An MP is demanding the government takes urgent action to ensure Birmingham patients are not left without out-of-hours GP services in December and over Christmas.

It comes after private firm Primecare, a division of Allied Healthcare, told GPs it would stop providing services from December 1.

The business currently provides GP out of hours services in Walsall, Sandwell and Birmingham, as well as Herefordshire.

Health managers say patients registered with around a dozen surgeries in Birmingham are most likely to be affected.

Dudley North MP Ian Austin said: "The NHS is entering its busiest period but thousands of patients in large areas of Birmingham and the Black Country could be left without GP out of hours services.

"This is obviously a very serious issue for patients in West Birmingham, Sandwell and Walsall, but many hospitals are already failing to hit their targets and this could also result in much bigger pressures on local hospitals and other health centres.

He added: "I want to know what steps the government is taking to sort this problem out and ensure local patients continue to get all the help they need."

Black Country MP Ian Austin wants reassurances over out of hours GP services this Christmas

Primecare has told GPs to “make urgent contact” with local health trusts called Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to arrange contingency plans for the services.

A letter sent to GPs in Birmingham on 20 November said: “As a result of the decision by our group, Allied Healthcare, to cease all operations by mid-December 2018, Primecare (a division of Allied Healthcare) will no longer be in a position to provide individual GP practices with primary medical services including GP OOH [out of hours] opted-in cover, half day cover, ad hoc cover or any telephony-based services as from 1 December 2018.

“You are advised to make urgent contact with your relevant CCGs to discuss contingency plans for the provision of these services.”

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A spokesperson for Primecare said: "On 16 November, Primecare’s parent organisation, Allied Healthcare, announced that, as a consequence of the Stage 6 notification issued on 5 November, the business was actively exploring a range of options to minimise disruption to continuity of care, including the sale or transition of its care and support services.

"Early last week, Primecare therefore notified its customers, including individual GP practices in Birmingham and Solihull to which it provides ‘opted-in’ out-of-hours services, that the company will need to cease delivery of the services it provides.

“We have been liaising closely with our customers to ensure that they are supported in securing alternative providers to deliver these services. We are committed to working with both CCGs and GP practices to ensure safe continuity of patient care throughout the handover process."